Feb 15 - Week 6

-

Overall:

An epic week—high-impact, filled with big moments, and topped off with a compensation message. I felt in the flow, comfortable in my skin, and at the top of my game.


Takeaways from Week 6:

• Kicked off with the Eagles’ Super Bowl win and victory parade—Rocky 2x energy!

• Delivered a strong talk at the ACE board dinner in DC.

• Presented Chancellor Mildred García with the Hesburgh Award at the Kennedy Center.

• Moderated a last-minute fireside chat like it was planned all along.

• Supported Brookings in setting a fresh direction for their Retirement Security Project.

• Presented our new Future of Higher Education in the Era of Longevity report at ACE.

• Ended the week with my compensation message—a real cherry on top!

• Progressed through one full page of Pachelbel’s Canon—teacher happy with progress!


Behavioral Takeaways:

1. Feeling completely in my element at work—engaged, confident, and flowing.

2. Spontaneity paid off in DC when I stepped in to moderate the Kennedy Center conversation.

3. Strong engagement from key women leaders at ACE.

4. Great family time with Mini in DC—love our Ethiopian and Valentine’s dinners!


NOTES:


Work:

• DC was a whirlwind: ACE board dinner, Kennedy Center, Brookings, and the ACE Women’s Leadership Council breakfast.

• Introduced our new Future of Higher Education in the Era of Longevity report—well-received and sparked lots of follow-up.

• Brookings event with Gopi Shah Goda was a highlight. Six key insights from the retirement security discussion are on my mind.

• Received my compensation message to close the week. 🕺


Home:

• Mini joined me in DC—great to have her there for both work and downtime.

• Ethiopian dinner at Das, followed by Valentine’s dinner at the Bombay Club (with a pianist in the background!).


Health & Fitness:

• Walking everywhere in DC felt great—Georgetown, Kennedy Center, Brookings!

• Ate well… Ethiopian and Bombay Club and Bindaas .

• Lot of attention to feet and putting corn-pads on for comfort - it did work!


Music:

• Had  music lesson Friday evening, continuing to peck away at Pachelbel’s Canon. At the end of one month, we’ve completed one full page, and my teacher is happy with the progress.

• Of course, I need to keep practicing and polishing! Five more pages to go, with the goal of performing it at the salon at the end of the term.


Writing, etc.:

• This week felt like a story unfolding in real time.

• Poem - Winter at the Kennedy


Social:

• Great conversations at ACE with several chancellors and university presidents.

• Connected with old colleagues at Brookings—especially nice to reconnect with Jason Fichtner and David John.


Sports:

 • Eagles’ Super Bowl win!! Philly pride was in full force this week.

 • Victory parade and “Yo, Adrian!” moment—felt like Rocky 2x.


Travel Plans:

 • Just back from DC.

 • VT this weekend—long weekend.


Entertainment:

• Valentine’s dinner at Bombay Club—amazing food and ambiance.

• Saw Casablanca - again!


Picture of the week:

Mini at Valentine’s dinner at the Bombay Club, pianist in the background, wearing her Panthère watch.




Popular posts from this blog

Week 23 - Midwest Golf Tour June 2025

-
Image
From June 9 through June 15, I participated in the Midwest Golf Masters Tour with a group of eight players. Over the course of one week, we played seven rounds across some of the most highly regarded public courses in the United States. The route took us from Kohler to Hartford, with time in Nekoosa and other points in between. Each course presented distinct demands and aesthetics, and the week offered a rewarding mix of challenge, learning, and shared enjoyment. The tour began on June 10 at the River Course at Blackwolf Run. I opened with a gross score of 102 and a net of 80, which served as a solid baseline to get comfortable with the pace and format. Later that day, we played a casual round at The Baths, a par three course that allowed for light experimentation and social play. Whistling Straits came next on June 11. I shot 105 gross and 83 net. The course was visually striking and technically demanding, with wind and dramatic views influencing shot decisions. Despite the score, I f...
Read more

June 29 - Week 25

-
Image
 Picture of the week: Team offsite overlooking the pond at Central Park Boathouse Row Overall: A fulfilling week blending professional milestones, personal travel, golf progress, and leisure. Enjoyed reconnecting with colleagues and family while appreciating simple pleasures like music, film, and gardening. Takeaways from the Week: • Enjoying app controlling gardening watering in Brookline Behavioral Takeaways: Consistency pays off: regular health routines, golf practice, and social engagements built momentum. Flexibility helped handle setbacks like the Frick visit. Mindfulness enriched daily experiences. NOTES: Work: Conducted a Health and Wealth roundtable at TIAA fostering cross-disciplinary ideas on health and wealth; attended Harvard Healthcare Policy Leadership Council. Home: • Stayed in NYC apartment • My correctly sized Zegna shoes are fitting and wearing well Health & Fitness: • Regularly taking statins Music: • Listened to Gangotri songs Writing et...
Read more

Week 24 - June 21

-
Picture of the Week Dinner with Siva. Overall A dynamic and expansive week that spanned policy engagement, strategic collaboration, and meaningful reconnections. From Georgetown to Chicago, the conversations reflected both urgency and imagination—on the future of retirement, leadership in healthcare, and institutional evolution. Amid the movement, there was also grounding: in health routines, old friendships, quiet moments of music, and the familiar rhythm of the golf course. The balance of purpose and presence felt steady. Takeaways from the Week Strategic awards and recognition can be powerful levers to shape industry norms and spotlight values-based leadership. Thoughtful frameworks—like CATCH, HALT, PICK, and PAIR—help navigate complex roles and relationships with greater clarity. Progress often looks like small habits done well, from sunscreen to statins. Missed moments (like book group) are part of the give and take of a full life—and can be reclaimed later. Behavioral Takeaways ...
Read more